Practical explanations of how personal information appears online, what a removal request can do, and what happens afterward.
Guide 01
How data brokers put personal information online
People-search and data-broker sites assemble profiles from sources such as public records, commercial records, and information that people have shared online. A profile can connect a current name to an old address, phone number, family member, or professional detail. You may never have dealt directly with the site that displays it.
The concern is the combination: someone may be able to connect details you would rather keep separate. Reducing unnecessary exposure can make it harder for others to locate or contact you through those profiles. A cleanup cannot erase every copy or prevent new information from appearing later.
A practical first check
Search your full name with a city or former city. Then check a past name, a phone number, or an old address. Open likely matches and verify that the details actually identify you before making a request. Record the exact page URL and the date you saw it. Do not send identity documents to an unverified address.
How ErasePilot helps
We identify relevant exposed listings within your plan, check whether a removal or correction route is available, submit eligible requests, and track responses. Your report separates what we found, what was requested, and what still needs attention.
Guide 02
Removing a search result is different from removing its source
A website can publish a page containing personal details. A search engine may then show a link or excerpt pointing to it. Asking the search engine to remove or update its result does not automatically remove the original page. Likewise, a source page may change before search results catch up.
Save both the source-page URL and the search-result URL. Check who controls the page and whether the site offers a correction, opt-out, or removal process. If the source changes, a separate search-result update may still be useful. Some content cannot be removed through either route.
What the status means
“Request submitted” means an applicable request was sent. “Removed” means the specified exposure was no longer found when checked. “Declined” means the recipient refused or a route was unavailable. A later reappearance is a new finding; an earlier outcome is not permanent.
Complete Cleanup may include a qualifying search-result request connected to a covered listing. That request does not count as a second listing and cannot erase the source page.
Guide 03
What happens after a removal request?
Sources offer different routes: an opt-out form, a correction process, or a support address. We first check whether the page appears to identify you and whether an applicable route exists. We may ask you to clarify a name variation or confirm that a profile belongs to you.
When an eligible request is sent, we record the URL, action, and status. A source may respond, take longer, decline, or ask for more information. We will not describe a sent request as a completed removal. If identity proof is required, we will discuss the request and a secure way to handle it first. The current website does not accept document uploads.
The recheck
Essential includes one recheck around day 30 and Complete one around day 60, measured after the initial review and request phase. We note whether information remains, has returned, or needs another step. Your report separates confirmed results from requests still pending or declined. A one-time plan is a cleanup cycle plus its stated recheck. Continuous monitoring is a separate service that is not for sale yet.
Guide 04
Exposed images and documents: what can be requested?
An image or document may be embedded in a profile, posted as a standalone file, or copied across sites. Find the exact page or file URL. A search preview and the originally hosted file can require different requests; removing one copy does not guarantee every copy disappears.
Before offering a standalone service, ErasePilot reviews who controls the page, whether it identifies you, the context, and the available request route. Public records, news coverage, third-party rights, or another person's account may limit what can be removed. We explain what can be attempted before charging.
An image within a listing already covered by Essential or Complete does not create a second image fee. A standalone image or exposed document is a separate review-first service with a tentative C$79 price if eligible. Do not send a passport, licence, proof of address, or other sensitive file through an ordinary form or email.
Ready for a clearer picture?
Explore the one-time cleanup plans. Eligible requests are tracked, and removal depends on each source.